Our customer service is definitely a differentiator. From conducting our own research and from gathering insights from our customers, it’s become apparent that our responsiveness is unique within this industry.
Peter Lord
From struggling horses to a thriving animal health company, Poseidon Animal Health’s story is one of passion, scientific discovery, and the transformative power of gut health.
Founded by a husband-and-wife team on a mission to help their own animals, Poseidon Animal Health has grown into a leader in equine gut health supplements, revolutionizing the way we care for our furry companions. Now, they set their sights on a new challenge: bringing their expertise to the vast equine market of the United States.
The beginning
Peter Lord, one of the founders of Poseidon Animal Health, shared the origins of the company, which was established in 2017. “The business idea for Poseidon Animal Health formed when I (Linda) identified health issues with my own horses. Despite doing all the ‘right’ things, they were struggling to gain weight, and had dull coats and unsettled dispositions.
“Using my own personal experience with the transformational powers of gut health, we created a gut health supplement for horses, working closely with equine nutritionists and vets. Within weeks, we started seeing the improvements in overall health with our horses, and with the other horses being trialled with the gut health supplement products. Peter explained that many horses suffer from issues all of which have been linked to gut health. “Many horses have problems with anxious behaviour, girthiness, laminitis and weight challenges, and research has shown there is a strong link between a horse’s gut health and its overall health, behaviour and condition.
Expansion into the Canine Market
Our success is based on the high quality of our supplements, the excellence of our company’s customer service, and a genuine interest in furthering education.
After building their success in the horse digestive health sector, Poseidon Animal Health decided to enter the canine market . “We decided to enter the canine market and launched a range of products to help dogs with their gut health and overall wellbeing. We’re now the biggest gut health animal business in Australia.
“Despite rapid growth, we’re committed to providing our customers with the highest quality products, leading edge research and education, and maintaining our integrity.
“Our success is based on the high quality of our supplements, the excellence of our company’s customer service, and a genuine interest in furthering education. We focus on the bigger picture – sharing knowledge on the best approach to feeding and nutrition for horses and dogs, hosting events with various experts from around the world, and creating and sharing resources designed to empower animal owners with a better understanding of their animal’s overall health. We will never compromise on quality, and we’re very transparent about what goes into our products. We’ve received thousands of positive reviews and recommendations from happy customers (and their happy healthy horses and dogs) since we launched six years ago.”
Embracing E-commerce and Digital Marketing
Peter stated that from the beginning, the company has been an industry disruptor in the animal health sector.
“From day one, we’ve been an industry disruptor within the animal health industry. We did our due diligence and worked with experts to create products that we know genuinely make a positive impact, and the products have spoken for themselves in many ways. Our customer service is definitely a differentiator.
“From conducting our own research and from gathering insights from our customers, it’s become apparent that our responsiveness is unique within this industry. When initially setting up our business, we called many competitors or enquired online or via social media, only to be met with deafening silence.
“As a result, we made the decision to value customer service within our business as highly as we value product research and manufacturing. Our genuine desire to make a difference and strong leadership mean we are always focused on our purpose of helping animals enjoy better health from within, and we’ve built a solid reputation within our industry as a trusted brand. We’ve also been early adopters of embracing ecommerce and innovative digital marketing practices. By offering genuinely helpful resources and educational opportunities – including expert webinars – we’ve built a strong and loyal customer base.”
Challenges faced
We’ve learned the importance of clarifying roles as the team grows, and of taking the time to find the right team members who are excited about being part of a rapidly growing business
Peter also acknowledged that rapid growth has presented challenges, particularly in maintaining the high levels of customer service they prided themselves on at the outset. He explained that as the team expanded, they learned the importance of clearly defining roles and carefully selecting team members who are enthusiastic about being part of a fast-paced, rapidly growing business.
“The world of animal health is evolving and new research is coming out all the time, providing evidence around new ways to support the gut health of horses and dogs. So we’ve had to continue working with scientists, vets, nutritionists and behaviour experts across the canine and equine worlds, to use evidence-based research to inform our products. This means we never stop innovating and applying new learning to our business and its products.”
Key Insights and Strategies
Peter offered several insights based on their experience of rapid growth. He emphasized the importance of setting up robust systems early on, particularly great file management systems, so that new team members can easily find the necessary information and understand the company’s processes.
“Set up your systems early on so that you have great file management systems in place and anyone coming into the business can find the right information and understand your systems and processes. Understand the value exchanges you’re offering within the business – for example, people don’t always appreciate receiving products for free, so use ambassadors wisely. Don’t assume they’ll promote your brand in return for free items.
“Be really clear on what your cost of goods sold (COGS) is and what your expenses are, and have a clear budget so you can understand your profit margins and how much you actually have to make for the business to make sense. Value relationships and build strong partnerships with people you trust. Use an omnichannel approach to marketing rather than putting all of your marketing eggs in one basket (eg Facebook ads), and be clear about your tone of voice and brand identity so that it comes across in everything you do. Manage scaling by being strategic and find a good mentor to help you through the process.”
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